By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
With just one parliamentary sitting week left in the year, silly season has returned to Canberra, with festivities unshackled from COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since 2019.
The Nationals kicked things off with their much-loved annual seafood barbecue on Tuesday, organised by senators Matt Canavan, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Susan McDonald.
The platters of prawns, bugs – and even crocodile – drew plenty of hungry staffers, journalists and pollies, including beefy ACT senator David Pocock making the most of his independent status to dine out on the Nationals’ dime.
The junior Coalition partner is also set to host its Grease-themed Christmas party next week, and we hope Barnaby Joyce tries to dress as Danny Zuko.
But things are looking a bit more grinchy on the government side. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will hold his annual press gallery drinks at The Lodge next Tuesday, the event’s one-hour time limit put a few noses out of line. Traditionally, the merrymaking drags on a lot longer.
Calling time: Anthony Albanese.Credit: Shakespeare
CBD hears after the Jenkins Review, which recommended toning down the booze-soaked culture in Parliament House, Albanese’s office was keen to keep things strictly professional and avoid some of the debauchery that’s gone down at the PM’s official residence in years past.
It all seems like a convenient excuse to avoid hanging out with a bunch of pesky gallery hacks, but perhaps a wise choice given the recent stories about journalists and alcohol.
So there’s an opportunity for Peter Dutton to win favour with the gallery at his own end-of-year event, the details of which are still in the works.
Meanwhile, spare a thought for the Greens, who unlike the major parties didn’t hold an event last year in an admirable act of COVID virtue signalling, but will host an end-of-year event with their expanded caucus next Monday.
Thick skins at icare
Self-awareness has never been a strong suit for executives at scandal-ridden NSW workers’ compensation scheme icare.
In fact, when you’re getting a cushy salary raise while running an agency best known for chronic financial mismanagement and underpaying sick workers to the tune of several million dollars all while taking a $1.9 billion bailout from the NSW taxpayer, we reckon a lack of awareness is practically a KPI.
Turns out, even the executives agree. At a planning session with a third-party provider in October last year, icare’s group executive team conducted a survey which found while their biggest strength was “self-assurance”, the bosses struggled on “self-awareness” and “environment scanning”, according to internal documents seen by CBD.
Perhaps one reason for that deficiency is the team’s over-inflated pay packets. As the Herald recently reported, icare boss Richard Harding’s salary has ballooned to more than $1 million, and according to Thursday’s annual report, his base pay is more than double the next ranking executive. Harding joined icare in 2021 after the financial mismanagement and underpayment scandals took place.
Still, while the State Insurance Regulatory Authority is of the view that icare’s long-term sustainability is under threat, the board seems to think it’s doing its job rather well, rating the entire executive as either meeting or exceeding expectations.
Little wonder the whole joint is in such dire straights.
Walker gives 50 per cent
It’s been a big year for billionaire property mogul Lang Walker, whose Walker Group empire doubled its revenue in 2022. So it’s little surprise that like many blokes with oodles of money, Walker likes to play philanthropist in his spare time.
A recent beneficiary has been embattled neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, whose Blacktown centre of excellence Walker is funding. But Walker has been particularly generous to the Museum of Arts and Applied Sciences (colloquially known as the Powerhouse), giving $20 million through his family foundation to its new, and controversial, Parramatta expansion.
Lang Walker bankrolled the Powerhouse Museum, but his attendance at meetings is less than stellar. Credit: Ben Searcy
While Walker joined the museum’s board of trustees in 2020, his commitment to the administrative, non-financial side of things appears less strong. According to the Powerhouse’s most recent annual report, he attended just three out of six board meetings in the past financial year.
A museum spokesperson told CBD that Walker was “actively involved and engaged with the priorities of the trust” and pointed to education programs funded by his donations.
The man himself didn’t respond, but we guess when you’re bankrolling the joint, you can show up when you choose.
Pricey POTUS
Local fans of The West Wing who got all excited by the news reported on Thursday by CBD – that former US president Barack Obama is bound for these shores for a couple of speaking engagements – should start saving their pennies.
Organisers of the tour (Sydney-based business inspo outfit Growth Faculty) have been in touch asking us to mention that a ticket to see the man himself at Sydney International Convention Centre or Melbourne’s John Cain Arena will start at $195 for a standard seat down the back – or you can splash out $445 for an A or B reserve spot.
Something a little closer to the action a “platinum” package will set you back $895.
But our favourite is the $295 it will cost you to watch an online livestream of Obama saying his piece. This has the making of a Taylor Swift-style resale bin fire.
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